O’Neill, who plays Mitchell and Claire’s father, Jay, addressed the controversy in an interview with PopEater. Calling from his Los Angeles home, he said he finds the complaint “half amusing, half annoying.” He noted that we haven’t seen Jay and his sexy young wife, Gloria (Sofia Vergara) kiss either. And, after 20 years of appearances in controversial comedies, O’Neill said that he sees such protests as just another form of show business, not to be taken seriously.

What do you think of the protests over Cameron and Mitchell’s muted displays of affection?
Oh, that’s so stupid. Who cares? When I hear that, it’s half amusing, half annoying. First of all, they’re the most conservative family of the three. Mitchell is a lawyer, and Cameron is a stay-at-home mom with a baby.